Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

प्रयागात्तीर्थराजाच्च शूलटंको महेश्वरः । तीर्थराजेन सहितः स्थित आगत्य वै स्वयम्

Transliteration

prayāgāttīrtharājācca śūlaṭaṃko maheśvaraḥ | tīrtharājena sahitaḥ sthita āgatya vai svayam

Translation

Aus Prayāga, vom König der Tīrthas, kam Maheśvara als Śūlaṭaṅka wahrlich aus eigenem Willen herbei und nahm hier seinen Stand ein, begleitet von jenem Herrn der Tīrthas.

Word by Word

• प्रयागात्: from Prayāga
• प्रयागात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• तीर्थराजात्: from the king of tīrthas (Prayāga)
• तीर्थराजात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थानां राजा)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शूलटङ्कः: Śūlaṭaṅka (name/title)
• शूलटङ्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल-टङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (शूलं च टङ्कश्च) नामरूपेण

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• तीर्थराजेन: with the Tīrtharāja
• तीर्थराजेन: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/साधन), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महेश्वरस्य)

• स्थितः: stood / remained
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having come’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Modifier (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Modifier (Agent emphasis/स्वकर्तृ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक-अव्यय (reflexive adverb: ‘himself’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlaṭaṅka Maheśvara (in Kāśī) with Prayāga Tīrtharāja association

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Śūlaṭaṅka arrives from Prayāga, bearing the trident, accompanied by a personified Tīrtharāja (Prayāga) as a radiant river-king figure; they take station in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Tīrtharāja (Prayāga)
• Śiva (Maheśvara)
• Śūlaṭaṅka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are interconnected; Śiva’s presence sanctifies Kāśī with the merit and authority of Prayāga, the foremost tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga (as Tīrtharāja) and the Kāśī manifestation of Śiva known as Śūlaṭaṅka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it narrates the divine establishment/arrival of Śiva at the site.